Chapter 3 - The Lawsuit
Three weeks later, a thick manila envelope arrived in my mailbox via certified mail.
I opened it at my kitchen island, sipping my morning coffee.
It was a civil lawsuit filed by my mother and Olivia.
They were suing me for half the value of the vineyard.
Their lawyer claimed that my grandmother had been heavily medicated when she wrote her final will.
They argued that I had manipulated a sick, elderly woman into disinheriting her own daughter and youngest granddaughter.
Mark read the documents over my shoulder and let out a heavy sigh.
“They are really going to drag this through the courts?” he asked in disbelief.
“They think I will settle out of court to avoid bad publicity,” I explained.
I immediately called my attorney, Mr. Sterling, who had handled my grandmother’s estate.
He chuckled when I read the claims to him over the phone.
“Let them sue,” Mr. Sterling said confidently.
“Your grandmother anticipated this exact behavior from your mother.”
He reminded me that my grandmother had recorded a video statement with a psychiatrist present on the day she signed the will.
She was perfectly lucid, completely aware, and exceptionally clear about her intentions.
I felt a wave of relief, but also a deep sense of sadness.
It hurt to know that my own family was willing to destroy my reputation and drag my beloved grandmother’s name through the mud for cash.
I instructed Mr. Sterling to fight the lawsuit aggressively.
I would not offer them a single penny in settlement.
We would go to court, and I would let a judge permanently shut down their delusions.
Meanwhile, Olivia was busy planning a lavish wedding she clearly expected me to ultimately pay for.
She was booking exotic florists, an orchestra, and a celebrity chef.
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She had completely convinced Carter that a massive settlement from me was on the way.
They were building a castle on a foundation of lies.
